Read & Respond week 2 – Getting Started

First, an overview of how these will typically work. Just about every week has an assigned reading from the Mark Briggs textbook, Journalism Next. In addition, I’ll typically put up a post here (usually by Thursday) with some links to online readings. You are required to post a response to these readings no later than 10a on Monday (before class; in weeks with no Monday class, your response is due at 10a Tuesday). You’ll post your response as a comment in reply to the Read & Respond blog post (like this one).

Your response MUST address the week’s Briggs chapter and should add some elements from the online readings. You don’t need to cite all the links, but you need to connect them (or other examples) to Briggs for full credit. Keep these short and to-the-point (they’re only worth 2.5 points), but do cover your bases.

Now on with this week’s assignment.

As the syllabus says, you’ll be reading Briggs’ introduction and chapter 1. As you work to develop your blog’s focus, Briggs offers some suggestions. Chief among them: “It’s not about you.” What can you write about that gets beyond yourself and meaningfully adds to the ongoing conversation? See what examples you can draw from the links below to bolster your ideas.

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33 Responses to Read & Respond week 2 – Getting Started

Journalism is changing now, all the time, everywhere. You have to become an ‘early-adopter’, which I’m really bad at. I did go do the HTML and CSS that Chapter 1 introduced, and it wasn’t too bad. My favorite part of the introduction was Briggs’s line, “Change is inevitable, but progress is optional”. Powerful!

Chapter 1 was a bit overwhelming. I didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to send an email over 1MB in size! I do have gmail through work, so that’s probably why I’ve never run into the problem, but it does make me think twice about sending things to future employers. Web servers render the information for viewing? Another thing I didn’t know! The RSS feed isn’t new to me, I’ve been using Google News for about a year, and my work also has it’s own RSS feed of WVU Sports articles. Regarding the FTP concept to share larger files, I take the easy way out and use Dropbox, which is my way of building on their options. When I started reading about basic coding, I realized how much I knew (from Myspace back in the day, is that embarrassing?). I’ve literally been doing this since I was 12. I use the , , etc all the time at work, but I’d never known about the CSS “style” type. I was sure that was all way over my head. As noted, I did the exercise. Now I want to do more!

Blogs aren’t usually acting in the public interest, and they can provide more color commentary and more in-depth things (and they can be more attractive than regular news sites, which may attract some people). This was dated and didn’t mention that many companies have blogs now that offer some more color. News we can choose related to that, and I see that now the excitement of following an anchor who shares your views is creating profit, and it’s definitely irreversible.

Why I should blog- discipline, you create better writing skills (and also code skills- as mentioned in Briggs) and you’ll find a platform or platforms you’re comfortable with, which is huge when applying for jobs!

How not to blog- don’t blog every day. Thank. God. Don’t be too controversial. I liked that they said to create a different angle, as you’re letting us do with sports. I hope to show people other’s opinions and my own through using facts in my writing.

I REALLY enjoyed your point about MySpace because it illustrates such an important part of what we’re about: We learn by doing, and doing very often takes the form of play. You learned how to code in MySpace not because you had to but because it solved a problem. That kind of thing sticks because you learned it because it mattered; too often, we have to teach you something and convince you that it matters instead.

What I thought was invigorating from reading Briggs from the beginning was that he felt a bright future for journalism due to advancements in technology. It also made me happy to know that jobs for high tech positions would be waiting for me if I wanted it. Of course proper training would be necessary, which is why chapter one was so exciting to read.

Whenever I would see HTML code before reading the chapter, I shake the confusion out of my head after seeing the seemingly scrambled jumble of characters. To know that HTML code is as simple as and this other goofy symbol for writing text or for an image. Now I feel silly for not using common sense when I saw those HTML codes when I was younger. Briggs also mentioned how important it was for us, the young people, to know computer jargon as we journey into the industry. Now, we not only have to compete with fellow journalist for jobs, we have to compete with bloggers who dedicate their time on events mainstream news won’t report.

I remember hearing about the rebellion in Ukraine 2 months before any news stations in the states picked it up due to Reddit. A local Ukrainian blogger reported on the Ukrainian riots before an official journalist did. That’s why I can’t agree entirely with Bill Thompson’s quote, “Blogging is not journalism. Period.” Sure, we can’t always rely on the Internet for news. God knows how many times Bill Nye has died according to the Internet. For the people who do legitimate journalism work through a blog, even if it may not feel like it, it’s important we get as many angles on a single story as we can.

This is my first time I have ever attempted to write a blog, so anxiety is high due to the Internet’s harsh ways. I was relieved to see that blogging everyday is a horrible idea as well as trying to create controversy. I only enjoy creating controversy if I have solid rebuttals. It’s why I’m taking my focus of the digital age to the entertainment industry. It seems that not many people recognize how much entertainment has changed due to Internet. We have more entertaining options, we have higher quality entertainment, we can use our laptop, phone, tablet, television, and MP3 player to see the newest adorable cat video. It’s a lot to take in and not every blog post will be great since it’s my first time. It’s nice to know that with all the readings I’ve read, the Internet is still a massive human experiment.

Good points about competition here. I’m always hesitant to put things too much in employment-based terms – journalism is a lot bigger than that – but it does hold that the more skills you have, the more of a leg-up you have on the people vying for the same job (and the more likely you are to KEEP that job when the cuts inevitably come). You’ll learn just a bit of many things in here, not nearly enough to make you an expert but enough to get a sense for what you might want to pursue. The main point is that you learn how to learn – it’s no longer a world where you can develop a good skill and ride it out into retirement.

I have a problem with keeping things short because I like to argue, and when you argue, you have to address and attack all points. It sort of translates to my writing for me, but as my first reading response, I’m really going to try to be to-the-point (it’s going well so far, isn’t it).

Briggs first chapter addressed the World Wide Web, the internet, and coding. While some other students may cringe, I’m quite happy that it did because last semester I had Media Applications (JRL 225). I learned coding, and not only did I like it, but I then continued on to code a page as my final for a different class (Costuming, quite fun). I feel a little more comfortable with the experience somewhat fresh in my mind. However, what I really liked about Briggs’ reading was how it gave me a different perspective on it and I picked up some new information. I never really thought about how the Web and Internet are two different things; it made me giggle to learn that RSS stands for “really simple syndication” because the “really simple” part just tickles my soul; and I had no idea feeds and GoogleReader existed, which could have really helped for research prior to this moment.

Other wonderful points in the reading were some of the reasons and ways to (or not to) blog. In beat reporting last semester, one of this first things I was told was that reporting isn’t about events, it’s about the people in those events, so I liked being reminded that journalism is about others and people in general. Owais’s article that pinpoints common advice and how to make it actually work is brilliant as well because it noted mistakes that I would probably make (and have made). It made me feel a little more secure in the new world of blogging.

You make a similar point as Sara: Coding stuck because you applied it elsewhere by your own choice rather than simply because it was mandated by a professor. Those things hang around in our brains because they originate internally rather than externally.

Regarding RSS feeds, I still miss Google Reader. It used to be required for this class, and while there are are still other options, it was one of the best.

I only say to keep these short because the points are low in the grand scheme, and you’re doing a lot of writing already. Respond as you see fit!

Journalism is constantly changing before our eyes, whether we like it or not. With technology continuing to evolve, reporting is transforming. However, the digital age is not taking away the core principles of journalism, but rather assisting as a compliment. I think Briggs said it best,”Journalism is about people, not technology.” And at the end of the day, this is very true. Technology has opened numerous new jobs for journalists, but these jobs can only survive with good storytelling and curiosity.

As I was digging into Briggs book, I have to admit the first chapter overwhelmed me. Anytime I see codes or Internet language, I tend to get freaked out. However, I really like how he broke everything down into simple terms. I had always heard about RSS feeds, but was never quite sure what they were. Now, I will definitely be taking advantage of those for both work and school!

As for blogging, it is part of the emerging industry. The term ‘traditional’ journalism no longer exists. Instead, multiple different platforms and duties are emerging. I personally think more and more people are taking advantage of citizen journalism. Of course, some people are never going to consider bloggers as journalists, but in the end that’s what they truly are, just a different form.

Blogging was never something that interested me before, but this class is starting to open my eyes into the great possibilities and advantages that can come along with it. I think it’s very important for people to start off slow and to not get overwhelmed by thinking they HAVE to post. Instead, blogging should be fun and relaxing. It shouldn’t feel like a job. Instead, it should be more of a time to share with other what’s on your mind.

Coding will be fairly peripheral in this course, but we’ll play with it. The main thing is that I want you code-literate and able to recognize (and occasionally produce) the basics. For more involved work, we’ve got JRL 321 and 493 (which you should look into!).

Blogging is definitely personal, and many professionals have developed it as a kind of muscle. In these early stages, though, it’s going to feel a bit like work because (just like at the gym) you have to develop those muscles. And those muscles often don’t like it at first – keep at it!

As technology advances, so does the field of journalism. No longer do people rely on a newspaper for their news. Anything and everything news consumers could ever want is at the tip of their fingers. Journalism is an ever-changing medium and our job as journalists is to keep up with it. In the text, Briggs wrote, “Change is inevitable, but progress is optional.”

The first chapter went into the technical side of journalism. Many journalists do not want to be bothered with codes or FTP files; the fancy tech lingo is scary to some (myself included). However, they are a very important facet of journalism. Having an understanding of technology can open the door to several opportunities on the World Wide Web.

Blogging has played a large role in journalism. Based on the first and oldest article, “Blogs and Journalism Need Each Other,” professional journalists had first turned their noses when it came to blogging. Presently, it seems more and more journalist have open their minds to the idea that blogging is becoming the news source to consumers.

There are so many benefits associated with blogging. Not only does it better you as a writer, but it also allows you to look at everything from a writer’s standpoint. A blogger adopts the mindset of a journalist, thinking, “Why is this news?” or “Why should people care?” You don’t see too many successful blogs with the post, “Today, I ate a burrito.” That is because consumers want what is important and fresh. The skills learned with blogging can be more than helpful in becoming a successful journalist.

De-intimidating (is that a word?) the technical side of things is a big part of this course. You WON’T become an expert, but if you are able to shed the fear of the new, the technical, the data-driven, you’ll find yourself suddenly above your colleagues and competitors in the field. Sometimes in this class we’ll play with very new things, and I’ll ask you to find the journalism there. Sometimes these new things might not ultimately seem to have much application to our work, and that’s okay. The play is the thing.

Mark Briggs’ introduction is titled “Journalism is about people, not technology” but in the first chapter delves into the practical information about and uses of this technology so that it is not viewed as a barrier for journalists, but rather another medium of providing information. He says that many journalists are intimidated by the technological terminology and overall vastness of coding, but while that technology itself is not the journalism, journalists must be open to the fact that the mediums of journalism have advanced and basic technological knowledge is key. In this way Briggs accepts the theme for blogs “It’s not about you” by educating the reader/blogger how to step out of his or her technology-avoiding comfort zone and advance with journalism.

“Fifteen Reasons I Think You Should Blog” by Joshua Becker switches the focus of the idea “It’s not about you” to show bloggers how taking part in this type of journalism can be beneficial to oneself. While it’s not about “you,” he says blogging does make you a better writer and allow you to take a step back and evaluate the “self” that you are showing to the world through your blog.

The article “Bloggers and Journalists Need Each Other” by J.D. Lasica shows how journalists who have taken to blogging are bringing a new element to journalism. Lasica mentions that bloggers with accounts from within events make journalism more “interactive” today (or in 2003, when the article was written). This holds true now, just as it did in Lasica’s example of the California peace marches that were recorded by a blogger.

After going through the broadcast program, I understand what Briggs means when he calls it an “extremely insular industry”. If you watch the news on WDTV, it looks dated. Every picture, every shot, every word is done the same way they would have done it in 1996. Yes, broadcast journalists use social media and direct traffic to the station’s webpage. But as for the broadcast itself, there’s nothing new and invigorating about the storytelling.

In an industry that is struggling, seemingly dying, journalist have to have the skills to set themselves apart from…everyone else. Because everyone else is blogging, writing, posting, tweets, facebooking. And if they want, they can do journalism just by being in the right place and doing the right things. That’s reporting. And that was the problem with the broadcast program for me at WVU. They taught you to do one thing: Report and read the news. There is so much more we can do as journalists!

For example, Briggs writes about RSS feeds. I worked at radio corporation. They didn’t know how to use RSS. I wanted to have an RSS feed from our website for my online video stream of the radio program “Talkline”. I was the youngest, most-peon-level person in the building and I was making a ticker from scratch using RSS feeds. Many journalists in the industry have no idea what they can do with general online technology and they don’t bother to learn.

Your experience isn’t unique to broadcast. Consider the DA: As a student publication, you might think it would be a little more forward online, but I’ve had several reporters in class describe management’s intense resistance to anything beyond the most basic online presence (although I hear they have an app now). Try to get some reference to some of the links (or outside links of your own) in to complement Briggs’ ideas.

The journalism industry is ever-changing. Ever since the internet hit the scene, the industry has found different ways to utilize it and this still holds true. People no longer get all their news from the black and white pages of a newspaper or from the local news airing in the evening and mornings.

No, people turn to the likes of social media, blogs and other outlets. That’s why in this day and age, for someone like me, I refer to myself as a “multimedia journalist” and I have made myself very versatile in regard to my skills. If one isn’t versatile, they run a high risk of falling short to other candidates who are very well-rounded.

In Chapter one, Briggs looks at codes and “internet language.” I consider myself versatile when it comes to the different types of journalism, such as broadcast, print, blogging and social media, but when it comes to coding or technical skills like that, I can’t say I’m that good at it.

With that said, however, it’s made realize how valuable a knowing how to code and what not can be. I’m sure being able to add those skills would be highly beneficial to landing a job.

Another aspect that I mentioned is blogging. Blogging have become a “game changer” in the journalism world. You have the free reign to start a blog and become a “journalist” even without a degree.

While some may think blogs aren’t resourceful, according to the link provided, “Why you should bog,” there are many different benefits to blogging. Benefits that include: Becoming a better writer, a better thinker and maybe even earn some money.

Out of the benefits the link mentions, I believe becoming a better writer and better thinker are the most beneficial. Becoming a better writer, especially if you’re pursuing a degree/career in journalism is super beneficial as you must be a great writer no matter what form of journalism you’re pursuing.

Also, being a better thinker is always a plus. Being a better thinker and being able to develop ideas could separate you from countless others in this field.

Overall, an individual in this profession and in this day and age, needs to versatile in their skill set. From what Briggs mentions in “internet language” or to blogging. One must be a cut above the rest and have many skills in order to succeed in this world’s journalism environment.

Chapter 1 in the Briggs book covers the basics of (almost) all things internet. For me, this chapter was a lot of review for terms I’ve already learned through class and work experience. I was excited to see an intro to code terms, though. This is something that journalism programs have really been pushing recently, and something that I did not have in my undergraduate years. Although I’m no coder, the ability to understand the power of code and the language behind it has proven useful as I turn my focus towards STEM industries.

I enjoyed the additional readings for this class that talked about the importance of a blog and some guidelines for how to be successful. I was especially excited for the article that talked about an individual’s choice in the media they consume. While this piece talked about mainstream general media outlets, it failed to mention specialist outlets like Car and Driver or Popular Mechanics, who generate their own following and readership. This allows consumers to bypass a general media outlet altogether.

This divide between specialist and general media is exactly where you’ll find many of the most successful blogs. Providing readers with an interesting topic and fresh viewpoint is essential for the success of a blog, and as media outlets become more fragmented, blogs will only continue to grow in number and importance.

As chapter one ultimately points out, traditional journalism as we’ve known it is basically non existent. Bloggers, who for years were criticized by traditional journalists – as the first reading points out – are now as big a part of journalism/reporting/news as reporters and columnists trained in the field. The only difference is one’s credibility.

In today’s field that we’ll all shortly be entering, journalists can no longer rely on good writing skills and above average reporting to land jobs/internships. Journalists/reporters must now be able to tweet, live blog, take videos, work with HTML, etc. With the industry now fueled by multimedia platforms, the journalist who possesses the ability to learn and effectively use the information listed in chapter one wins. I’m somewhat familiar with using HTML code to produce useful web pages, but the info listed in this chapter could be so much more useful to me down the road if I choose to take the time to learn it.

Having said that, I believe blogging is a big part of journalism and how we obtain our news on a daily basis. However, I do feel a good many who try to get into blogging try to do too much too often. When I started with the DA, I had a hard time coming up with different and meaningful story ideas every day. But as I wrote more and more, I learned to think differently and realize what the audience wanted to hear and what was most important.

Journalism is an ever changing field and blogging has become a big thing in the last few years, however now days you don’t have to be a journalist to blog. Many people are blogging with no journalist background. One of the links discussed social media and how there was none a few years back. Journalist through social media and blogging can reach so many people now days.

According to Briggs it is almost necessary that a journalist know how to do coding now days. The advancement of technology makes the field of journalism ever changing and the only way to keep up is to keep yourself constantly informed. Briggs also alludes to the fact that it may be up to younger journalist to help teach older journalist how to evolve with the changing mediums and field. Briggs also says that the advancement in journalism will be good for the field in the long run, however it may be a little rough to start with.

Thanks Carley. Make sure you’re touching on a few of the links, or bringing in some outside material. As with your blog posts, the main thing is that your posts aren’t just opinion without supporting evidence.

The world of journalism is one that is constantly changing but is filled with large corporations that are not willing to adapt as quickly as they should. These large corporations are run by people who saw much success from the way they delivered the news over the past few decades.

As Briggs says, the days of having a few “supergeeks” to deal with the technology are over. Every journalist needs to be able to navigate, utilize, and master the technology available to us in order to get the highest quality news out to their readers.

Many people used to get their news from the morning paper with a cup of coffee. Now with the 24 hour news cycle we live in, consumers get their news from their mobile phones, tablets, and computers. This change is allowing more people to share their content with the world. Journalists need to take that step outside of their comfort zone and expand into the digital world. I believe this is what journalism has needed for quite some time.

Whenever you watch the evening news or read the paper, the content always comes across in the same format. It hasn’t changed in quite some time and can become boring to news consumers. Bloggers are not tied down to a larger entity and have the freedom to push the envelope and create their own styles. They can design their sites the way the desire and that is appealing to their readers as well as tell their stories through different mediums (video blogs, pictures, print, etc.). Bloggers also have the luxury of not having stories turned down by an editor. This allows the consumers to decide what is and what isn’t good work.

Blogging allows readers to pick and choose the news they get. If they are searching for hard hitting news or information on how to grow an amazing garden, the blogoshphere allows them to get that content without filtering through stories that they have no interest in. With this demand for more specific sites the door is wide open for anyone to become a journalist and leave their mark on the Internet.

Your thoughts are interesting, but make sure you’re responding to specifics in the readings here – I’m seeing one line from Briggs and no particulars from any of the provided links. You can bring in outside links as well, but be sure you’re drawing from sources beyond just your opinion (this is true for your blog posts as well).

I’m going to be a bit harsh during this post. I really did not like the way that Briggs presented the information. As we had discussed in class, it is really easy for someone writing a blog to lose the reader if the post is either too long or too complicated. felt myself venturing from this first reading of Briggs’ work.

He opened up the reading by saying “One of the arrears to a deeper understanding of how the internet and other digital technologies work is the endless sea of acronyms and jargon.” Maybe it’s just me, but it seems as if Briggs jumped right into that sea of jargon right away. He instantly started going over each of the file sizes, ASCII, and different types of bytes.

Although I feel negatively towards Briggs’ work, like most journalists who would rather ignore this side of everything, I’m going to have to deal with it. It is imperative for communication professionals to be able to navigate this new digital environment to accurately, quickly, and professionally report the news. Those who do not innovate get left in the dust, and journalists who do not understand the digital world at a rudimentary level risk being left in said “dust”.

I found that Briggs had some moments that I agreed with. His quote at the bottom of page 18 cleared some things up for me about RSS. “Do you want to be smarter tomorrow than you are today? Adopting a daily RSS habit is the easiest way to make that happen.” His language was really technical, but he always seemed to draw relevant conclusions.

It is very interesting how much media students utilize the internet through social media. However, it may be even more interesting that these students do not know how these sites work under the hood. As briggs says, to drive a car, you need not know how it works. I think that while you don’t need to know how to create a life-changing app, it is important to know what drives the car.

Thanks for these observations, Joe. It interests me because I use Briggs for how he (to my mind) bridges the gap between the technical world of which he speaks and the new, possibly intimidated perspective of many of his readers. You may not be one of those readers, but your issue is not that Briggs is dumbing things down, but that he is sometimes cluttering them up. Thanks for going beyond your issues here to point out where he succeeds to your mind as well – this helps to triangulate on your take. As you come across resources that do it better, feel free to share them here (or via #WVUblogJ).

The way Briggs addresses progression as an inevitable force in Journalism Next is a brilliant way to look at the profession of journalism. As journalists I believe we have a tendency to be even more possessive of our work than other professionals, for good reason, in order to ensure we receive notoriety for our work. For this reason journalists are very territorial, and this leads to stagnation in the world of journalism. Bill Thompson from the article Blogs and Journalism Need Each Other stating, “Blogging is not journalism. Period” is a very dogmatic approach to a profession that should evolve to provide the public with the most relevant information possible.

My favorite section of chapter one would probably be the section on html. Up until last year if you had put a bit of web code in front of me I would have been completely ignorant, but thanks to the program Hour of Code my interest was aroused and I can understand the simplicity of most bits of html. The readings point to this by condemning the reliance on one tech genius. Each journalist must have knowledge about html, css, or xml.

One thing I have continued to observe is the ever-changing landscape in the world of journalism, and in order to stay relevant up-to-date knowledge is needed. This not only includes technical knowledge, but also trend knowledge. These readings have solidified this point.

Glad you touch on Thompson’s piece. How much is his statement a product of its time, and how well have his reasons held up these many years later? Regarding code, we won’t be a coding intensive course, but we’ll definitely be delving into code literacy here.

Briggs used the term “Digital Darwnisim” to describe the growth of digital technology. I agree with him that technology is evolving, but much faster than human beings. Many people, including me, feel that it is difficult to catch up with this growth. It started with MSN messenger; blogs, Facebook, twitter and today there are hundreds of apps that are famous. I think that this evolution is overwhelming and I personally don’t like it. I am currently on Twitter, Instagram, Snap chat, Yik Yak and recently blogging. There is not enough time to be active on all of these apps and it gets confusing sometimes.

The good part of this Evolution is that getting information became easier. Now I can know what is going on in my country by reading my Twitter timeline or viewing my Instagram. Briggs also mentioned that a lot of new jobs are being created by these apps. This economical benefit is great, but people should use it moderately before it becomes too much.

Samar Owais wrote a great article on how not to Blog. The point that I liked most in the article was her advice to not blog daily. 2-3 posts a week are more than enough to be an active blogger and still be interesting. Blogging daily could become boring if there is not anything to write about.

Two really interesting points here: First, that the mass of social media platforms leaves you feeling overwhelmed. You note there is “not enough time to be active” on them all – why is it that we feel we SHOULD be active in multiple venues? Second, you note the greater ease in keeping up on your home country thanks to these resources; imagine how different your time away from home would have been just five or six years ago.

“Change is inevitable, but progress is optional,” said Briggs.
Today’s journalism has expanded beyond newspapers and television. Journalism is becoming more digital everyday. Technology is continually growing. Successful journalists must learn its strategies and grow with it.

With that being said, that goes for me too. Codes are overwhelming and intimidating. The only little experience I have with the Internet language is myspace Because Weblogs are becoming a major media channel in story telling and communication, I’m driven to expand my knowledge in the digital world.

In the past, I’ve written blogs because I HAD to. “Why Should You Blog” opened my mind and gave me something to look forward to. Throughout this semester, I hope become a deeper thinker and writer. My goal is to live a more intentional life and inspire others.

As someone who is majoring in Print Journalism, I get told often how I’m going down the wrong path because newspapers and magazines are dying. However, when I hear those things I tune them out because it becomes clear that those people don’t understand that journalism is constantly changing and right now it’s transitioning to the digital age (as mentioned in Briggs’ book and in the online readings). There will always be jobs and opportunities in the journalism industry. In the old days it was in newspapers and magazines while today there are jobs available on the internet and specific websites that didn’t even exist a decade ago.

One major example of this is in coding, which has become a good paying job for many people. I have always looked at coding with intimidation because I simply did not understand any of it. Reading the first chapter of journalismNEXT helped break down the basics of coding better than anywhere else I had ever tried to look.

As far as blogging goes, I first got into it about two years ago when many different people told me how important it was in this field. Regrettably, my schedule and focus strayed me away from my blog and I haven’t gotten back into it for a long time now. The online readings reminded me of some of the great benefits of blogging, especially with how it improves your writing and allows you to get your voice out there. I am excited that this class requires us to blog, because it will force me to do what I have wanted to get back into for a while, which is posting in my blog again.

It is a new age for journalism, more specifically journalism taking a new track, through digital technology. But whether we like to admit it or not, this new technology is not a substitute for the classic journalism we were all raised with, but it rather supports it in a new beneficial way. Sure, technology has opened new passages that have made journalism a lot easier to get out to the general public, but you still need creative and experienced writers/story tellers to create their awareness to attract the general public to these topics. That’s why I think Briggs was spot on when he said “Journalism is about people, technology.” The technology might make it easier, but it’s not going to of any benefit if you don’t have the interests of the people reading it in mind,
In the introduction of Briggs book, my immediate response was confusion and fear. Because in the past, I have not much experience with coding and computer language. But after reading, I felt more comfortable because Briggs broke it down piece by piece in a way that helped me understand it much better than when I previously learned it high school classes. For example, I never really understood what RSS feeds were, but after reading this I now understand how they can be very beneficial in both my major, as well as my future career in the work place.
After reading this chapter, I realized that “traditional journalism” simply does not exist anymore, and that blogging is a new industry taking over. Many people don’t consider blogging as journalism, but that’s wrong, people are just so caught up in their ideas of journalism should be that they aren’t realizing that this is basically the same thing, just an updated form. Just like every other industry, journalism is going to continue to advance as this new digital age progresses.
The only experience I have had with blogging was during my internship, so I haven’t had very much experience. I am glad that I do have the little experience that I do before joining this class, because without it I would be lost. Blogs are something that can be personal and formal. For instance, you can have a personal blog where you can share interests and connect with other people. Or you can have a formal blog such as a blog that represents a company’s interests and connecting to prior, present, and future clients. That is why I disagree with the statement that it “shouldn’t be considered a job,” because when using blogs when working for a company, that is your job. However, I don’t think it should be limited to that either, because blogs can be used as a way of relaxation and fun by connecting with people who share similar interests as you.

It is a new age for journalism, more specifically journalism taking a new track, through digital technology. But whether we like to admit it or not, this new technology is not a substitute for the classic journalism we were all raised with, but it rather supports it in a new beneficial way. Sure, technology has opened new passages that have made journalism a lot easier to get out to the general public, but you still need creative and experienced writers/story tellers to create their awareness to attract the general public to these topics. That’s why I think Briggs was spot on when he said “Journalism is about people, technology.” The technology might make it easier, but it’s not going to have any benefit if you don’t have the interests of the people reading it in mind.

In the introduction of Briggs book, my immediate response was confusion and fear. Because in the past, I have not much experience with coding and computer language. But after reading, I felt more comfortable because Briggs broke it down piece by piece in a way that helped me understand it much better than when I previously learned it high school classes. For example, I never really understood what RSS feeds were, but after reading this I now understand how they can be very beneficial in both my major, as well as my future career in the work place.

After reading this chapter, I realized that “traditional journalism” simply does not exist anymore, and that blogging is a new industry taking over. Many people don’t consider blogging as journalism, but that’s wrong, people are just so caught up in their ideas of journalism should be that they aren’t realizing that this is basically the same thing, just an updated form. Just like every other industry, journalism is going to continue to advance as this new digital age progresses.

The only experience I have had with blogging was during my internship, so I haven’t had very much experience. I am glad that I do have the little experience that I do before joining this class, because without it I would be lost. Blogs are something that can be personal and formal. For instance, you can have a personal blog where you can share interests and connect with other people. Or you can have a formal blog such as a blog that represents a company’s interests and connecting to prior, present, and future clients. That is why I disagree with the statement that it “shouldn’t be considered a job,” because when using blogs when working for a company, that is your job. However, I don’t think it should be limited to that either, because blogs can be used as a way of relaxation and fun by connecting with people who share similar interests as you.

In the introduction Briggs makes the point that journalism has a bright future. These are encouraging words especially since almost every time I say I am a journalism major someone responds with “isn’t that a dying industry?” It is true that the journalism field does have a bright future and that the field isn’t dying, it is just in a constant state of change to adapt to societal needs and technological advancements.

With things like RSS feeds and ways that you can choose what type of news and information gets delivered to you, the way news and information is presented is evolving with technology as well. This is beneficial because in the past you didn’t really have the option to filter your news to show only things you are particularly interested in. The text shows an example of the Washington Post websites RSS feed where you can filter your news in major categories like Politics, Sports, and Economics and then there are further for specialized categories. For example under Politics you can refine your feed more by choosing options like Congress, Elections, or Obama Administration.

The section of chapter one devoted to coding was good review for me. I skimmed over the coding basics in JRL 215 and going through this part of the chapter was a good refresher on basic web design and simple HTML and CSS coding. Having to make a basic web page by using HTML and CSS was helpful in understanding the information in this section.

The blog “15 reasons I think you should blog” has some very good points pertaining to how blogging is beneficial. The point that stood out to me was that blogging helps you to develop on eye for more meaningful things. This is definitely the case the more I think about it because as we are working on are blogs and trying to think of relevant topics, we are in a way doing our own filtering of information and ideas to think of the best topic that fits your particular blog. This is relevant to Briggs ideas on how an RSS feed can tailor to specific needs and interests. Our blogs that we are working on also need to be focused and provide engaging topics that a certain niche may be interested in. This might be a not to great comparison but by creating our blogs we are kind of doing what an RSS feed does in having specific information with stores/posts about a topic.

Good overview here, Mike. As I’ve responded to others, we’ll be tinkering with code throughout the course. It won’t be an intensive focus, but the goal is literacy and de-mystifying the practice (hopefully whetting your appetite to learn more).

[…] This week, you created an “About” page with your blog’s mission statement. In class today, we assessed these focuses. Based on my and your classmates’ feedback, refine your “About” page and add some depth. Remember these points from our readings: […]